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Misc. OC Transpo & STO Questions & Discussion


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37 minutes ago, CanadianBrick1 said:

Screenshot2024-03-07170946.thumb.png.677b5b4114a208dd947b3f70d01d20df.pngScreenshot2024-03-07171007.thumb.png.769ab86858a69e1f95130f38b96e0bd4.png

A couple things from the most recent electric bus document, which can be found here: https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=171458

Reading the document, it will be a split order between New Flyer and Nova depending on production.

New Flyer:

  • 22 buses in Q4 2024
  • 29 buses in Q4 2025

Total New Flyer units at 51 buses. 

Nova:

  • 4 buses in Q4 2024
  • 47 buses in Q4 2025

Total Nova units at 51 also. 

This is along with upgrading the facilities at St. Laurent garage to better accommodate zero emissions buses.

Final comments:

At least the City of Ottawa didn't go blind in the beginning and ordered four units to better determine workability and field testing to ensure that any changes needed can be noted for future orders. Most units being in-service for over two years now except for 2101 not going into revenue service until June 2022.

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Well we finally got the answer everyone was waiting for which model(s) where getting? Although going with Nova without testing them like with NFI units, I'm just wondering how they'll perform for our system?

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3 hours ago, MCIBUS said:

Well we finally got the answer everyone was waiting for which model(s) where getting? Although going with Nova without testing them like with NFI units, I'm just wondering how they'll perform for our system?

Nova EV's were tested by the STO, I believe. More than likely the NFI's will all be XE60s, as we have exactly 51 D60LFs that are reaching EOL.

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39 minutes ago, Dexter249 said:

Nova EV's were tested by the STO, I believe. More than likely the NFI's will all be XE60s, as we have exactly 51 D60LFs that are reaching EOL.

OC also tested a 40 ft EV Nova variety awhile back as well, mocking a Route 131 run in Orleans. @JCL managed to get a nice video of it being tested on his YT channel

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With E-Bus order more or less confirmed, can't comment on the Nova's, but I'm wondering what the NFI E-Buses will look like interior wise? Will they be the same as the 4 test buses we have or will there be any differences?

 

Will they have that divider between the handy cap wheel chair position?

Will they have a larger side destination sigh?

Will the interior lighting front entrance, lights going dime to bright when doors open?

Or any other differences?

 

As for the Nova's not sure what they'll be like? 

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The two things I'm hoping for are different seats since the plastic Insights kinda hurt to sit on for me.

But the more important thing is hopefully white destination signs, or for the fun of it even full colour ones (probably wouldn't happen but we can wish). The white ones look cleaner than the yellow/gold ones imo

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This is OC, you'll get the bare minimum and like it. 

The order is a joint procurement with the TTC but OC will be modifying the order to match their needs so no wide rear doors and likely no USB ports. We may get the updated Clever device screen but there's no confirmation on that. 

Seating configuration will have the same goal of making sure there's as many crammed into a bus as possible and Nova's should be as close to their diesel counterparts. The plastic seats are the new norm for weight reduction 

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On 3/7/2024 at 5:11 PM, CanadianBrick1 said:

Screenshot2024-03-07170946.thumb.png.677b5b4114a208dd947b3f70d01d20df.pngScreenshot2024-03-07171007.thumb.png.769ab86858a69e1f95130f38b96e0bd4.png

A couple things from the most recent electric bus document, which can be found here: https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=171458

Link returns a 404 for me.

On 3/8/2024 at 8:09 AM, Dexter249 said:

Nova EV's were tested by the STO, I believe. More than likely the NFI's will all be XE60s, as we have exactly 51 D60LFs that are reaching EOL.

You think 51 New Flyer XE60s and 51 Nova LFS-Es? (or whatever Nova calls theirs)

On 3/15/2024 at 3:18 PM, CanadianBrick1 said:

The two things I'm hoping for are different seats since the plastic Insights kinda hurt to sit on for me.

But the more important thing is hopefully white destination signs, or for the fun of it even full colour ones (probably wouldn't happen but we can wish). The white ones look cleaner than the yellow/gold ones imo

Full-colour signage would be fun... I was in Niagara Falls in Feb. and the WEGO buses had colour designation signs. :) 

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42 minutes ago, bsnider001 said:

Link returns a 404 for me.

The direct link was working last week.

Go to the Agenda portion of the web site (https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=df24d9d9-0ac9-4aa8-8241-7d87a07fb1b7&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English) and click the link titled "Zero Emission Bus Program Update Report". 

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1 hour ago, bsnider001 said:

Are the four "demo" New Flyer XE40s (buses 2101-2104) staying in service as well once the new e-buses enter service?

Yes they're not really demos, OC just used them heavily to gather data and information for EV tech. Regular buses for regular service 

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Apologies for derailing, but was on 8147 on the 6 greenboro, but everyone on the bus had to disembark at billings bridge because the rear doors were having problems, when they were closing, it closes for a second or two when the driver was about to move, the buzzer goes off and doors open again and stops the bus because of the rear door interlock, the driver tried to override the interlock to move the bus when the rear doors were trying to open. It kept doing that several times at billings bridge so it was out of service and had to wait until another 6 greenboro (6452) arrived, is there any thoughts why the bus thinks there is something “blocking” the doors, there were nobody blocking the doors or touching the door bars while this occured.

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5 hours ago, kitortransit said:

Apologies for derailing, but was on 8147 on the 6 greenboro, but everyone on the bus had to disembark at billings bridge because the rear doors were having problems, when they were closing, it closes for a second or two when the driver was about to move, the buzzer goes off and doors open again and stops the bus because of the rear door interlock, the driver tried to override the interlock to move the bus when the rear doors were trying to open. It kept doing that several times at billings bridge so it was out of service and had to wait until another 6 greenboro (6452) arrived, is there any thoughts why the bus thinks there is something “blocking” the doors, there were nobody blocking the doors or touching the door bars while this occured.

Few reasons.

-the doors were closing too fast and it was causing the sensitive edge to think something is in the way

- debris caught in the tracks are known to cause it 

- they're kinda trash buses with tons of electrical faults so often a full battery shut down solves it 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Couldn't help notice that there was a lot of down buses today? On my way home from Carleton Place, I spotted an artic (signed as 62 Tunney's) and Invero pulled over with an OPP cruiser and OC supervisor on the 417E near Moodie. On my way back home from my work depot I saw another artic broken down on Richmond road (near QCH), again,  with another supervisor on site and lastly I spotted another broken down Arctic on the transitway just after Lincoln field station heading towards queensway, with a supervisor present (spotted while entering the Ottawa River Parkway). All this within an hour after 5 PM. Never thought I'd spot so many break downs in so little time

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12 hours ago, Loud-Invero said:

Couldn't help notice that there was a lot of down buses today? On my way home from Carleton Place, I spotted an artic (signed as 62 Tunney's) and Invero pulled over with an OPP cruiser and OC supervisor on the 417E near Moodie. On my way back home from my work depot I saw another artic broken down on Richmond road (near QCH), again,  with another supervisor on site and lastly I spotted another broken down Arctic on the transitway just after Lincoln field station heading towards queensway, with a supervisor present (spotted while entering the Ottawa River Parkway). All this within an hour after 5 PM. Never thought I'd spot so many break downs in so little time

Was this during the afternon rush hour? If so, the artic that broke down on Hwy 417 eastbound east of Moodie Drive may have been Bus 6531. They sent an extra (run 109-204) to rescue the passengers on Bus 6531.

I was listening to Broadcastify when that was happening. 

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1 hour ago, Loud-Invero said:

Couldn't help notice that there was a lot of down buses today? On my way home from Carleton Place, I spotted an artic (signed as 62 Tunney's) and Invero pulled over with an OPP cruiser and OC supervisor on the 417E near Moodie. On my way back home from my work depot I saw another artic broken down on Richmond road (near QCH), again,  with another supervisor on site and lastly I spotted another broken down Arctic on the transitway just after Lincoln field station heading towards queensway, with a supervisor present (spotted while entering the Ottawa River Parkway). All this within an hour after 5 PM. Never thought I'd spot so many break downs in so little time

Expect it to get worse, Techs are amazing and do everything they can but Inveros are at "newest" 17 years old and artics newest are 13 without a rebuild which isn't ideal. 

I agree with you, I've never seen so many Inveros towed than I have last few months and artics always blow coolant lines when it gets warm but normally they're quick on road repairs and not tows. 

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And there's no plans to get new buses besides the electric batch?

All the Inveros and artics should be retired by now as they've reached their 18 and 12 years life expectancy from the standard industry norm.

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57 minutes ago, Cityflyer said:

And there's no plans to get new buses besides the electric batch?

All the Inveros and artics should be retired by now as they've reached their 18 and 12 years life expectancy from the standard industry norm.

Nope, EVs are the only replacements (even though we should be putting Trolleybus wires up and buying Solaris ETBs.

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